Finger bar assembly for hop picking mechanism



Sept. 25, 1956 E. THYS 2,764,163

FINGER BAR ASSEMBLY FOR HOP PICKING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 27, 1953 5 I g I i I JNVENTOR. EDOUARD THYS United States PatentOflice 2,764,163 Patented Sept. 25, 1956 FINGER BAR ASSEMBLY FOR HOP PICKING MECHANISM Edouard Thys, Sacramento, Calif.

Application January 27, 1953, Serial No. 333,439

9 Claims. (Cl. 130-30) This invention relates to hop picking mechanism and more particularly to improvements in hop picking finger bars. The present invention is in the nature of an improvement in hop picking mechanisms of the kind illustrated and described in my United States Patent No. 2,599,080, dated June 3, 1952, as adapted for use with portable hop picking machines such as illustrated in my Patent No. 2,187,527, dated January 16, 1940, or in the stationary hop picking machines of the general character illustrated in Patent No. 1,504,551, dated Feb. 25, 1913.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a finger bar assembly wherein the picking fingers are supported in a manner to prevent breakage through continued use. A further and more specific object is to provide a finger bar provided with wings to support and position the fingers which are provided on the bar in a way not to weaken the bar.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reference to the specification and accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference representing corresponding parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a picking finger taken from an end of the bar to which it is attached.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the bar assembly.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the bottom of a finger bar.

The present invention utilizes interlocking fingers of the type disclosed and described in my Patent No. 2,448,063, dated August 31, 1948, and Patent No. 2,599,080, dated June 3, 1952. A plurality of picking fingers is adapted to be disposed in row formation along a finger bar in slidable, interlocked relationship with one another. The fingers are mounted upon the finger bar to enable easy assembly of the fingers relative to the bar as more specifically set forth in my aforesaid two patents.

The present invention calls for no change in the picking fingers per so over that of the aforesaid patents but is directed to the bar and means for mounting the fingers upon the bar.

Referring to the drawings, the finger bar comprises an angle bar, generally indicated at A, formed in the usual manner with right angularly disposed flanges, indicated generally at 3 and 4. The marginal edge of flange 4 is cut inwardly and then longitudinally of the bar at equally spaced intervals and the metal cut is bent downwardly to provide downwardly depending wings 5. The cuts are made in the metal at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the bar and thence substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bar so that the wing 5 may be bent downwardly with the grain of the metal from which the bar is formed. Formation of the wings 5 provides clip-receiving recesses 21 in the flangs 4. In this connection it will be noted that the backing ears and pivot pin receiving porresulted in some weakening of the metal of the bar.

The rear edges of wings 5 are grooved or notched, as at 6, for reception of the pivot pin 7, as will hereinafter appear. Preferably, opposite, and spaced from the member 5, a portion of the bar is cut and bent obliquely downwardly to form a tab 9 so as to define a space between said wings 5 and tabs 9 for reception and positioning of the coil spring portions 11 of the fingers, indicated generally at B. The tabs 9 may be eliminated, if desired, to simplify construction of the bar. The clips C are preferably formed of a comparatively thin sheet metal and are adapted to be inserted on the bar in recesses 21 and between the wings 5 and tabs 9 so as to be held therein by the interlocked fingers B. The fingers, in turn, are held in place by the pivot pin 7 disposed slidably through the coil portions 11 of the fingers and pin receiving notches 6 of members 5 and the clips are restrained from movement longitudinally of the bar by the sides of the recesses 21.

The clips are formed with a concave finger supporting face 13, which extends upwardly and obliquely forwardly of the bar A edge and are each provided with oppositely disposed rearwardly extending flange portions 14, the bottoms of which lie atop the flange 4 of bar A. The finger supporting face 13 is bent rearwardly to form a plate 15, adapted to be disposed below the flange 4 of bar A so that the flange 4 is clamped between the said plate 15 and the bottoms of the flanges 14. The plate 15 is provided with depending side flanges 16 in order to restrain lateral movement of the terminal extensions 17 of the fingers B. At the ends of the bar the pivot pin may be looped over, as indicated at 19 in Fig. 2, to hold the assembly in place.

In operation, the clips are provided in the spaces between members 5 and 9. Then the fingers are arranged so that adjacent arms of adjacent fingers are disposed against the face portion 13 of each clip, as illustrated, for example, in Fig. 2. The clips are held in place by the fingers and recess 21. The fingers, in turn, are held in position by the members 5 and 9, pivot pin 7, faces 13, and flanges 16. The pivot pin is inserted slidably through the coil portions 11 of the fingers and the pivot pin receiving notches 6 of the members 5. As noted, opposite ends of the pivot pin may be bent or looped, as at 19, to hold the assembly in place.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a finger bar for hop picking mechanisms, comprising a continuous finger supporting bar member having a fiat portion and having along the front edge thereof a plurality of equally spaced downwardly depending wing members and a plurality of equally spaced downwardly depending tab members spaced from each said wing member, said wing members disposed substantially normal to the said front edge of the bar and transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of said bar, the rear edges of each said wing member provided with a notch to receive a pivot pin, and a plurality of equally spaced recesses in the front edge of said. bar for reception of finger supporting clips, the sides of said recesses bounded by portions of said wings and tabs.

2. An article of manufacture according to claim 1 and wherein the wings are formed by cutting the front edge of the bar inwardly and thence at right angles thereto and parallel to the longitudinal axes of said bar and bending the material of the bar thus cut downwardly from said front edge.

3. An article of manufacture according to claim 2 and whereinthe clip receiving recesses are provided by formation of the downwardly depending Wings.

4. A finger bar assembly for hop picking machines comprising a finger supporting bar having a fiat portion and having along the front edge thereof a plurality of equally spaced, downwardly depending wing members and a plurality of equally spaced, downwardly depending tab members spaced from each said wing member, said wing members disposed substantially normal to the said front edge of the bar and transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of said bar, the rear edges of each said Wing member provided with a notch to receive a pivot pin, and a plurality of equally spaced recesses in the front edge of said bar for reception of finger supporting clips, a finger supporting clip member disposed in each said recess, said clips formed to project upwardly and obliquely forwardly of the front edge of said bar, a pivot pin extending longitudinally of said bar and disposed slidably in said notches of said wing members, and a plurality of fingers disposed on said pivot pin in row formation, each of .said fingers including a pair of spaced supporting arms of spring wire, each having a coiled portion loosely embracing said pivot pin and a terminal extension projecting from said coiled portion rearwardly under said bar.

5. A finger bar assembly according to claim 4 and wherein the clip face against which adjacent supporting arms of said adjacent fingers rest is concave.

6. A finger bar assembly according to claim 5 and wherein the clip member is provided with means to restrain movement of the terminal extensions of the fingers longitudinally of the bar.

7. A finger bar assembly for hop picking machines comprising a finger supporting bar having a flat portion and having along the front edge thereof a plurality of equally spaced, downwardly depending wing members, said wing members disposed substantially normal to the said front edge of the bar and transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of said bar, the rear edge of each said wing member provided with a notch to receive a pivot pin, and a plurality of equally spaced recesses in the front edge of said bar for reception of finger supporting clips, a finger supporting clip member disposed in each said recess, said clips formed to project upwardly and obliquely forwardly of the front edge of said bar, a pivot pin extending longitudinally of said bar and disposed slidably in said notches of said wing members, and a plurality of fingers disposed on said pivot pin in row formation, each of said fingers including a pair of spaced supporting arms of spring wire, each having a coiled portion loosely embracing said pivot pin and a terminal extension projecting from said coiled portion rearwardly under said bar.

8. As an article of manufacture, a finger bar for hop picking mechanisms, comprising a continuous finger supporting bar member having a flat portion the front edge of which is formed with a plurality of equally spaced, depending wing members, said win g members extending substantially normal to the flat portion of said bar and substantially transverse to the said front edge thereof the rear edge of each said Wing member provided with a notch to receive a pivot pin, and a plurality of equally spaced recesses in the front edge of said bar for reception of finger supporting clips, one side of each said recess bounded by a portion of a said wing.

9. A finger bar for use in a hop picking machine to support picking fingers thereon comprising a plurality of notches formed in said bar along the front edge thereof and substantially equally spaced from one another, said notches being divided by edges at least one of which extends substantially normal to the said edge of said bar, wing members extending substantially normal to said bar member and each being disposed along a said notch edge, said wing members each being provided with a notch to receive a pivot pin therein, said notches being aligned with one another.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

